Design of seepage flow virtual laboratory tests in the discipline of Soil mechanics. An alternative proposal with multiple teaching advantages

Abstract

The characteristics of the laboratory or field tests, to be developed by the students, indisciplines of technical carriers such as Mines and Civil Engineering are qualitativelyand quantitatively different that those related to basic disciplines such as Physics,Chemistry or Graphical Representation. However, these are quite fundamental for acomplete formation of the students in order to complement their theoretical teaching;the practical e experience acquired by the engineer in laboratory and field is quiteessential for their professional future. The drawing up virtual laboratory tests, alwaysas alternative to real tests, when they are correctly carried out with well-establishedaims, can suppose an interesting solution since they offer a large number ofadvantages. In this work the experience of making up a didactical unity of a virtuallaboratory test, on the issue of flow networks in the discipline of Geothenics, bringtogether the subjects that the students must know about the matter. To this end asuitable code is developed that goes further the flow network construction. The virtualtest also contains complementary and optional exercises, with auto-evaluativecharacter, that students must fit in their own computer for the compliance of all thesubjects